Sunday, April 01, 2007

Feeling your age

A few nights ago, my husband and I went to a rock concert at the local arena. We've gone to see rock shows in the past -- Van Halen, Creed, etc. -- but this was a bit different. Evanescence was the headliner, so there were a fair amount of goth people in the crowd. At one point, my husband asked me if it all made me feel old.

Actually, no. In fact, going to concerts like that make me feel younger than I am. I've always been a believer in you're only as old as you feel. A lot of it comes down to mindset. I actually feel more like I'm in my 20s sometimes than my mid-30s. When I look at how many years it's been since I graduated college, I can't believe it. It doesn't seem like that long ago. I don't feel like I'm much different than I was then. I like a good bit of modern music, like teen movies and TV shows, and read books aimed at teens. Yes, my name is Trish, I'm 36 and I watch Smallville and read Stephenie Meyer books. :)

I firmly believe our mindset affects us physically. My husband's grandmother can do way more physically than my parents, and she's 20 years older than them. I'm sure you've met people who were old enough to be grandparents who were still doing amazing things physically and mentally. They're running races, climbing mountains and writing books. They're inspiring.

The human body is a complex machine, so we have to keep our bodies, minds and attitudes in tip-top shape so the machine keeps whirring away for a good long time. When I'm 80, I still don't want to feel old -- mentally or physically. That's why I intend to keep reading, going for walks, working out at Curves, attending rock concerts, watching Smallville and Supernatural, and writing young adult books. Who is going to join me?

Trish, I totally agree that you're only as old as you feel. On Sunday night my daughter and I went to a nightclub to hear my son's rock band. I was the only mom there and my kids didn't seem to mind--after all, it was their invitation!--and I had so much fun. I love rock music but don't care for it when it's loud, so my one concession to age was to take a pair of earplugs.

I agree it's the mindset. I think I'll always be young because I'm a teacher and I'm interested in the things the kids do. I think that kept my grandmother, who died at 92 but still acted like a 60 year old, going, being interested in things.

My mom will be 60 this year, a young mom for someone in my age group, but she's always acted OLD. She always liked old music and old movies and while I like that stuff too, it seems to have stifled her. Her brother is the same way.

Which kind of blows my theory about being a teacher keeping one young, since she's a teacher, too.....

I sure wouldn't want to feel my age. I agree, keeping young is mostly in the mindset and the habits, and I speak with better authority than most of you.

Writers stay young because they keep their minds active and flexible. That's very important. But it's also true that they tend to neglect their bodies. Their concentration on the sedentary activity promotes this, and it's just plain too easy to stay in that chair a bit too long, to grab a less than healthy snack in order to keep the plotting juices flowing. It's hard to plan for physical exercise and healthy eating. But we'll also be better writers if we do.

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